Can Posterior Pericardial Incision Truly Improve Postoperative Complications After Cardiac Surgery? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

ABSTRACT Introduction: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) and pericardial effusion are important factors affecting prognosis after cardiac surgery. Recently, it has been reported that posterior pericardiotomy (PP) can effectively prevent the occurrence of POAF and pericardial effusion. To validate these conclusions and guide clinical practice, we conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis. Methods: We searched multiple databases for manuscripts published before July 2022 on the use of PP to prevent POAF and pericardial effusion and included only randomized controlled trials. The main outcome was atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting, and secondary outcomes were included. Results: This meta-analysis included 14 randomized controlled trials with a total of 2275 patients. Meta-analysis showed that the incidence of POAF after cardiac surgery in the PP group was significantly lower than that in the control group (risk ratio=0.48; 95% confidence interval=0.33~0.69; P<0.00001). PP effectively reduced postoperative pericardial effusion (risk ratio=0.34, 95% confidence interval=0.21-0.55; P<0.00001). Conclusion: PP has shown good results in preventing POAF, pericardial effusion, and other complications, which indicates that PP is a safe and effective surgical method, but attention still needs to be paid to the potential risk of coagulation dysfunction caused by PP.

A Case of Purulent Pericarditis Caused by Baceteroides fragilis Successfully Treated with Pericardiotomy Using Left Small Thoracotomy / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

A 70-year-old woman who was bedridden because of right hemiplegia attributable to a history of cerebral hemorrhage underwent surgical thrombectomy for pulmonary embolism four years previously. Symptoms of heart failure appeared one year previously, and she was diagnosed with constrictive pericarditis and had been treated with medication by a previous doctor. In the current situation, she visited the previous doctor with the chief complaint of fever, and pericardial effusion was observed on echocardiography. Cardiac tamponade was suspected and she was transferred to our hospital. She was then diagnosed with purulent pericarditis because purulent fluid was observed during pericardiocentesis drainage. Bacteroides fragilis was isolated from the culture of the abscess. The abscess was resistant to conservative antibiotic therapy ; therefore, we performed a pericardiotomy with a left small thoracotomy. The pleural effusion was found to be negative for culture and the patient exhibited a good postoperative course. Purulent pericarditis is refractory with poor prognosis. An appropriate surgical procedure must be chosen considering the patient's activities of daily living. Here, we report a surgical case wherein we chose the left thoracotomy approach and achieved positive results.

Reporte de un caso con taponamiento cardíaco como forma de presentación de cáncer de pulmón / Report of a Case with Cardiac Tamponade as a Presentation of Lung Cancer

El taponamiento cardíaco es un evento grave que requiere un rápido diagnóstico y tratamiento, sus causas no siempre son evidentes, aunque, los procesos neoplásicos y en particular los de pulmón, deben tenerse siempre en cuenta. El objetivo de este trabajo fue ejemplificar que el taponamiento cardíaco puede ser la forma de manifestación de un cáncer de pulmón. Se presentó un paciente de 58 años de edad, fumador por 45 años, portador de un taponamiento cardíaco, con antecedentes de derrame pericárdico previo y anemia, con disnea de esfuerzo, acompañado de tos seca. Se realizó pericardiotomia, drenando 2 750 ml de líquido serohemático. El proceder quirúrgico confirmó el diagnóstico etiológico de adenocarcinoma mixto moderadamente diferenciado de pulmón bilateral difuso, con metástasis en pericardio visceral y parietal. Las neoplasias producen con frecuencia derrames hemorrágicos o serohemáticos y taponamiento cardíaco, frecuentemente recidivantes tras la pericardiocentesis, como sucedió en este paciente.

The cardiac tamponade is a serious event that requires a quickly diagnose and treatment. Its causes not always are evident, even though, neoplastic processes and in particular the ones related to lungs, should be taken into account. The objective of this work was to provide that the cardiac tamponade could be a way that a lung cancer be manifested. A fifty eight -year- old patient, with a history of smoking for 45 years with a cardiac tamponade, history of previous pericardial stroke, anaemia and hacking cough was presented in this article. A pericardiotomy was performed to drain 2750 millilitres of serohematic fluid. The surgical procedure confirmed the existence of a mixed moderately differentiated, lung adenocarcinoma, with metastasis in the parietal and visceral pericardium. The neoplasia produce frequently hemorrhagic and serohematic bleeding, as well as cardiac tamponade, frequently after pericardiocenthesis, as occurred with this patient.

The Effectiveness of Left Side Pericardiotomy in Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

In off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB), adequate exposure under stable hemodynamic condition is mandatory. We introduced left side pericardiotomy to expose the left anterior descending artery without lifting up the ventricle in 2008. With this pericardiotomy approach, the exposure of the circumflex and right coronary artery territory became easier and OPCAB with left side pericardiotomy was compared with OPCAB with midline pericardiotomy. From 2004 to 2011, 194 elective first time coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were performed in our hospital. Before 2008, 62 patients underwent OPCAB with midline pericardiotomy which constituted 61% of the CABG in that period. After 2008, the pericardium was dissected on the left side and a small pericadiotomy was made on the left side of the main pulmonary artery. This incision was then extended to the apex. With this pericardiotomy, only two patients underwent CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass (one patient with 15% left ventricle ejection fraction and one more patient who developed acute coronary syndrome during anesthesia induction). Thus 91 out of 93 patients underwent OPCAB (98%) (Group L). In Group L, old myocardial infarction and unstable angina patients were frequent. The frequency of the patients with left ventricular ejection fraction less than 40% tended to be more in Group L. The operation time was significantly shorter in Group L (Group M 305±71 min, Group L 223±54, <i>p</i><0.0001) and the number of distal anastomoses number was significantly more in Group L (Group M 2.3±0.7, Group L 2.8±1.0, <i>p</i><0.0001). Blood pressure during left circumflex coronary artery and right coronary artery anastomosis was significantly higher in Group L, and even continuous dopamine infusion requirement was significantly less in Group L (92% in Group M, 13% in Group L, <i>p</i><0.001) among the patients with left ventricle ejection fraction less than 60%. There was only 1 hospital death in Group M. Postoperative maximum CK-MB was significantly lower in Group L (Group M 48±107 IU/<i>l</i>, Group L 13±16 IU/<i>l</i>, <i>p</i>=0.005) and the patients with CK-MB more than 12 IU/<i>l </i>was significantly frequent in Group M (Group M 73%, Group L 33%, <i>p</i><0.0001). Postoperative ICU and hospital stay period was significantly shorter in Group L (ICU stay : Group M 3.4±2.3 days, Group L 2.0±1.4 days, <i>p</i><0.0001, hospital stay : Group M 27±21 days, Group L 16±7 days, <i>p</i><0.0001). The patency of the graft to the left anterior descending artery did not differ significantly (Group M 94%, Group L 99%), however the patencies of the grafts to left circumflex artery and right coronary artery were significantly better in Group L (left circumflex artery : Group M 75%, Group L 98%, <i>p</i>=0.001, right coronary artery : Group M 81%, Group L 98%, <i>p</i>=0.014). Left side pericardiotomy seemed to be useful because OPCAB with left side pericardiotomy yielded shorter operation time, less myocardial enzyme release, improved postoperative recovery and better patency of graft to the left circumflex and right coronary artery.

Análise epidemiológica das pericardiotomias realizadas em um hospital universitário de Curitiba / Epidemiological analysis of pericardiotomys held in a university hospital of Curitiba

OBJETIVO: Analisar epidemiologicamente a utilização da janela pericárdica(JP) no diagnóstico de lesão cardíaca em um hospital universitário de trauma de Curitiba. MÉTODOS: Estudo observacional, retrospectivo, de análise dos prontuários de pacientes que foram submetidos a pericardiotomia por trauma contuso ou penetrante, no período de seis anos, no serviço de Urgência e Emergência do Hospital Universitário Cajuru. RESULTADOS: 120 pacientes foram submetidos à Janela Pericárdica no período acima referido. A faixa etária variou de 15 a 80 anos, sendo a maior prevalência entre os 20 a 30 anos (49,7 por cento), 105(87,5 por cento) pacientes eram homens e 15(12,5 por cento) mulheres. Os traumas fechados foram 14(11,67 por cento) e penetrantes 105(87,5 por cento). Dos penetrantes, 41 foram por ferida de arma branca, 60 por ferida de arma de fogo e quatro por ambas. Quanto à localização das lesões: 47,5 por cento foram precordiais, 34,16 por cento em transição tóraco-abdominal, 5,0 por cento em ambas e 13,33 por cento em outras localizações. Das JP realizadas, 72,5 por cento foram negativas e 27,5 por cento positivas. Dentre as positivas, as lesões cardíacas encontradas foram: átrio direito 21,2 por cento, ventrículo direito 30,3 por cento, ventrículo esquerdo 24,2 por cento, aorta ascendente 3 por cento, nenhuma lesão 21,2 por cento. Houve 35 óbitos: 18 deles até 24hs e 17 após 24hs. CONCLUSÃO: A janela pericárdica foi mais realizada em homens jovens com ferimentos penetrantes por arma de fogo, em sua maioria com lesão do ventrículo direito como principal achado, concordando com a literatura revisada.

OBJECTIVE: Epidemiologically analyze the use of the pericardiostomy in the diagnosis of cardiac injury in a trauma universitary hospital in Curitiba. METHODS: Observacional, retrospective study, analyzing medical records of patients who were submitted to penetrating or blunt trauma, in a period of 06 years, in Urgency and Emergency unit of Cajuru Universitary Hospital. RESULTS: 120 patients had been submitted to pericardiostomy in the period above related. The age group varied from 15 to 80 years, the major prevalence between 20 and 30 years (49.7 percent), 105 patients were men and 15 women. Blunt trauma corresponded to 14 patients and penetrating to 105 patients. From penetrating ones, 41 patients were inflicted by stabwound, 60 by gunshot wound and 4 by both. About injury sites: 47.5 percent had been precordial, 34.16 percent in thoraco-abdominal transistion, 5.0 percent in both and 13.33 percent in other sites. From the accomplished JP, 72.5 percent had been negative and 27.5 percent positive. Among the positive, cardiac injuries diagnosed by immediate thoracotomy were: right atrium 21.2 percent, right ventricle 30.3 percent, left ventricle 24,2 percent, ascending aorta 3 percent, no injury 21.2 percent. 35 patients died: 18 of them up to 24hs and 17 after 24hs. CONCLUSION: The pericardiostomy were performed mostly in young men with penetrating trauma caused by gunshot wounds., in its majority with injury of the right ventricle as main finding, which agreed to the reviwed literature.

Acute Heart Failure after Relief of Massive Pericardial Effusion / 대한흉부외과학회지

Severe left ventricular dysfunction after relief of massive pericardial effusion has been rarely reported. Interventricular volume mismatch, acute distention of the cardiac chambers and interplay of autonomic nerve system are believed to be the possible causes for ventricular dysfunction. Presenting two patients who had marked decrease in global ventricular systolic function after relief of pericardial tamponade by subxyphoid pericardial window, we recommend gradual removal of pericardial fluid under hemodynamic monitoring, especially in patient with postcardiotomy tamponade.